Monday, December 12, 2011

‘Speaker hides from being served notice’

By JEFFREY ELAPA

PARLIAMENT Speaker Jeffery Nape is reportedly avoiding the service of court documents over an alleged contempt of court, The National reports.
Plaintiffs in the court suit are suspended Angoram MP Arthur Somare,
Madang Regional MP Sir Arnold Amet and other politicians loyal to the
former Somare-Abal regime.
Somare yesterday claimed that they could not serve the court documents on Nape as he was avoiding them.
Sir Arnold told reporters that Nape’s contempt proceedings, filed last
Friday, were related to his May 6 decision to sack Grand Chief Sir
Michael Somare as the regional member for East Sepik.
Somare and Sir Arnold said other contempt court proceedings would be
taken out against Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah for moving a motion
to disqualify Sir Michael and Sam Basil for seconding the motion on May 6.
Others cited in planned contempt proceedings included Inter-Government
Relations Minister Mark Maipakai (for his threatening letter to East
Sepik Governor Peter Wararu to withdraw the court reference) and Prime
Minister Peter O’Neill for a letter he also wrote on behalf of cabinet.
Sir Arnold said individual members of cabinet who deliberated on the
matter would also be hauled before the court because their actions had
been in contempt of court despite the matter being withdrawn.
He said another application would be filed for a court interpretation of last Friday’s move to rescind the decision to grant leave of absence for Sir Michael.
The matter on the attempt to withdraw the financial powers of the East Sepik provincial government would also be taken to court, Sir Arnold said.

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